Smile Like You Mean It
by Athena Solaris
Summary: [Oneshot, Team 7 Friendship] You guys better not die on me. I wouldn't be able to survive that island ordeal on my own.


Eh-heh...a Team 7 friendship one-shot. (blank stares) It's all Sasuke's fault, I swear!

There are papers blowing around on my desk because I have the window open. But it's nice out, so I don't care. You probably don't either. (shutting up now)

Disclaimer: I don't own, so you don't sue. It all works out in the end.

**Smile Like You Mean It**

One fine day, three young ninjas stood on a bridge, waiting impatiently for their perpetually late sensei. The water below flowed calmly, making an oddly soothing babbling sound. That is, unless your name was Uchiha Sasuke. In that case, you preferred total silence, and at times total darkness.

Unfortunately for the predictably silent ninja in question, it was a bright and sunny day. The babbling brook was starting to wear on his nerves. No, not the water. This particular annoyance was one Uzumaki Naruto.

"I'm gonna have Kakashi-sensei's head for this one!" The blonde shouted, much the same as every other day. Sasuke suppressed a snort. Couldn't the dobe at least be a bit more creative? Ignoring his raven-haired teammate, Naruto perched on the bridge's railing next to one Haruno Sakura. She twitched and buried her nose further in the book she was reading.

That was decidedly odd. She could usually be found trying to engage Sasuke in conversation. Maybe it was a really addictive read and she'd been up all night with it. That would explain the hollows in her eyes. Or maybe she was on one of her impulsive diets again.

_That girl is going to kill herself one day, if she keeps that up. _Sasuke couldn't decide which was weirder about the previous statement: the fact that he thought seriously about someone else in a non-violent way or the fact that he had decided he would not only attend her funeral, he would bring flowers.

"Whatcha reading, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked after being pointedly ignored by the pink-haired girl. Sasuke was curious too. Unfortunately, there was no jacket on the book, and the cover was a plain grey. The words on the binding were too faded to decipher, especially from a distance.

"You wouldn't be interested. Besides, it's a bit too deep for you." She answered, not even bothering to look at Naruto.

"C'mon, Sakura-chan, tell me!"

She rolled her eyes, realizing that if she didn't do as he asked he'd just keep talking to her. _Why couldn't Sasuke be more like Naruto...?_ "Sexism in Survival Situations." She took note of the questioning looks on her teammates' faces.

_There's a whole book on that? _Sasuke thought.

"You're right. I don't get it." Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head and letting out a nervous chuckle. "Explain?"

Sakura sighed. Inner Sakura pumped her fists, recognizing a golden opportunity—she'd prove to Sasuke that she had the brains to make up for not being a muscle-bound meat head. "Alright, let's say the three of us are stranded on a dangerous island. Naruto, your arm is broken, which makes you unable to fight normally. Sasuke has contracted a rare tropical disease that is making him delusional and paranoid, along with turning him green. I'm perfectly healthy."

"How did Sasuke get a disease like that?" Naruto asked in an obviously inflammatory manner. For the sake of Naruto's well being, Sasuke pretended he hadn't heard.

"Anyway," Sakura began tersely, trying to draw the attention-deficit blonde back to the topic at hand. "We need to eat. Who do we send out into the dangerous jungle to hunt?"

"Isn't it obvious? You go, Sakura-chan. Sasuke and I aren't up to it." Naruto stated, blinking multiple times for effect.

"Wrong." Sakura smiled. "If I die, it's just you two guys." She turned to Sasuke, still smiling. "What do you think, Sasuke-kun?"

"I think this is a waste of time and effort."

"Oi, Sasuke-bastard! Don't be such a spoilsport!"

"Fine. No one goes anywhere. We set up baited traps around the perimeter and let food come to us."

"Good solution," Sakura grinned at Sasuke. He ignored it. "But you're missing the point." Naruto gave her a blank stare. Sasuke threw her a questioning glare. "The title is 'Sexism in Survival Situations.' And remember, this isn't your usual 'we're stuck in a jungle.' There's no telling how long we'll be stranded there." She looked pointedly at her teammates. "Alone."

"So..." Naruto said slowly. "One of us has to go. Me or Sasuke."

"Well, you're right for once."

"Why can't you go again?" Sasuke asked, clearly in doubt.

"Because I'm the only female."

"So what?"

"Survival doesn't just mean survival of the individual. It also means survival of the species."

There came an awkward silence while each of the three processed the possibilities. Then there came a universal blush.

"That doesn't seem like something you'd agree with, Sakura-chan." Naruto observed.

_He's right. _Sasuke thought. _She's too stubborn for that._

"No, I wouldn't go with that. I'd go hunting, and I'd hope like hell that neither of you tried to tear the other's throat out." Sakura agreed.

"No way! I'm going! Someone has to stay behind and take care of Sasuke, and he'd kill me if I touched him."

"I can take care of myself."

"You're delusional!" Sakura and Naruto retorted simultaneously.

"Wait," Naruto said, looking confused. "Is he delusional now or later?"

"Later." Sakura answered. "I think."

"I am not delusional!"

"Yes you are." Sakura stated authoritatively.

"You're turning green too!" Naruto added helpfully.

"Argh, why are we even having this argument?" Sasuke asked harshly.

"Because it could happen, Sasuke." Sakura answered quietly._ No suffix. _"What we're doing is dangerous. And I'm sure being stranded on a tropical island isn't the worst of what's to come."

The boys were silent. Naruto for once and Sasuke as usual.

After a few moments, Sakura smiled brightly. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Until then, you guys better not die on me. I couldn't get through that island ordeal on my own."

"We're not gonna abandon you like that, right Sasuke?" Naruto assured her, grinning widely. Sasuke didn't say anything for a while. Naruto and Sakura's silence told him they were expecting an answer.

"Of course not."

Sakura grinned. "Don't look so depressed when you say that, Sasuke-kun."

"Yeah, smile like you mean it!" Naruto added.

_What could it hurt?_ Sasuke thought.

And that was how Kakashi found them. Not teammates, but three smiling friends.

--

Eh, that took me...half an hour. Well, I hope no one was too OOC. PLEASE REVIEW, I love hearing from people!


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